Earth terracer with variable-speed transmission



1 E. V. COLLINS Filed Jan. 15, 1945 s--------a 1 l I. I/ffI/ffllll/I 2%? 49m, fi @v s,

Dec. 11, 1951 EARTH TERRACBR WITH VARIABLE-SPEED TRANSMISSION Patented Dec. 11, 1951 EARTH TERBACER WITH VARIABLE-SPEED TRANSMISSION Edgar V. Collins, Ames, Iowa, assignor to Iowa State College Research Foundation, Ames, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application January 15, 1945, Serial No. 572,854

Claims. (Cl. 97-43) This invention relates to drive units for soil moving machines and more particularly to infinitely variable drive units of the V-belt type.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a variable drive unit which is light in weight which includes a minimum number of parts and which provides a wide range of driving ratios.

Another object is to provide a drive unit which can easily be mounted on a soil moving machine and can easily and quickly be adjusted to vary the operation of the machine.

Still another object is to provide a variable drive unit of the v-belt type in which a single variable pulley is employed and in which the pulley centers are maintained in the same plane under all operating conditions.

A further object is to provide a variable drive unit which is controlled by simultaneous movement of the pulleys toward and away from each other and the opening or closing of one of the pulleys.

These and other features of the invention will be seen from the following detailed specification read in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part thereof and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts in section of a soil moving machine embodying the invention; v

Figure 2 is a partial plan view of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged partial section on the line 33 of Figure 1.

The soil moving machine, as illustrated, is of the type more particularly described and claimed in my Patent No. 2,063,584. As shown, the machine includes a frame indicated generally at H! which is connected to cross frame members I i at the rear end of the machine. The frame supports a plow bottom l2 substantially like a conventional moldboard plow with the moldboard cut ofi at the back. Adjacent the back of the plow bottom a rotatable soil throwing member I3 is supported by the frame and is formed with a helical thread [4 thereon. Thesoil throwing member receives soil backed up by the plow bottom and throws it laterally as is fully described in my Patent No. 2,063,584.

The machine may be mounted on and operated by any desired type of tractor illustrated as including a gear box [5 supported on driving wheels It. The frame I0 is connected to the gearbox by a pair of laterally spaced bottom links I! pivoted to the frame and the gear box and a central top link 18 similarly pivoted to the frame and the gear box. This linkage supports the frame on the tractor to permit vertical movements thereof which may be controlled through control mechanism on the tractor, not shown. The soil throwing member is adapted to be driven from the tractor by a power take-off shaft IS, driven from the tractor engine. The shaft I3 is connected through a universal joint 2| to a horizontal shaft 22 in a beveled gear drive unit, indicated generally at 23. The shaft 22 carries a bevel gear within the unit 23 which meshes with a bevel gear on a vertical shaft 24 lying parallel to the soil throwing member l3.

The bevel gear unit 23 is mounted for movement transversely across the frame members II and is guided during such movement by pins 25 on the unit 23 which slidably fit in slots 26 in the frame members H. As best seen in Figure 3, the slots 26 slope downwardly toward the soil throwing member l3 so that the bevel gear unit will move slightly downward as it approaches the soil throwing unit. The shaft 24 slidably carries a collar 21 having pins on its opposite sides riding on an upwardly sloping cam surface 28 on the plates II. The pins 25 and the pins on the collar 2! are connected by links 29 to a cross head member 3| guided in slots 32 in the frame plates II. The construction is such that the links 29 will hold the bevel gear unit 23 against twisting or tilting as it is moved toward and away from the soil throwing member. In the foregoing, the inclined slots 26 serve as cams andthe pins cooperate-therewith in guiding the bevel gear unit for movement toward and away from the soil throwing member. Any desired type of mechanism may be used to move the head 3! but, as shown, it is connected to a screw 33 threaded in a plate 34 which is secured to the frame. The screw'may be turned by a handle 35 to move the gear unit to any desired position.

The shaft 24 of the gear unit has rigidly secured to its upper end a V-pulley part 36 and a complementary pulley part 31 is connected to the collar 21 for movement axially toward and away from the part 38. The V-pulley -38 is rigidly secured to the upper end of the soil throwing member I 3 and a V-belt 39 drivablyconnects the two pulleys.

With this construction as the gear unit 23 is moved toward the soil throwing member l3, the gear unit will be moved downwardly to move the pulley part 33 downwardly. At the same time the cam surfaces 28 willraise the collar 21 to raise the pulley part 31, thereby reducing the space between the parts 36 and 31. This action will squeeze the belt 39 peripherally outward of the pulley parts to increase the effective diameter of the driving pulley, thereby to turn the soil throwing member at a higher rate of speed. Movement of the gear unit away from the soil throwing member will cause the pulley parts 36 and 31 to separate, thereby reducing their elfective pulley diameter and reducing the speed of rotation of the soil throwing 'member. By-properlyzshaping the slots 26 and the cam surfaces 28, thexoverall belt length around the two pulleys may be maintained constant and the pulleys may be held in the same operative plane. With this construction a very simple and infinitely variable-ratiois provided between the drive unit and the soil throwing member which can'easily and simply be adjusted during operation of themachine.

While the drive mechanism has been described in connection with a soil imoving machine .to which it has particular application, it will be 1111'- derstood that this unit might be employed: to advantage in various other environments. It will also-be apparent that various structural changes mightcbe made in the mechanism withoutdeparting from the spirit .or scope of theinventionand that the embodiment illustrated is not to be taken asa definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What. is claimed is:

:1. In combination with a soil movingmachine having a frame, a soil cutting and elevating member on the frame, and a'rotatable soil throwing membermounted on theframe in position vto receivezsoil directed thereon .by said soil-cutting and elevating member, a drive unitfor the :soil throwing .member compris ng 'a bevel -gear equipped shaft-and 'a housing support therefor movably mounted on the frame for movement toward and :away from the :soil throwing r member e. V-pulley-onthe bevel gear shaft'formed with axially separable parts to;provide avaria'ble .ratio,'a fixed vepulleyon the soilthrowing member, a -\/--.belt connecting the pulleys, a lever adapted to move the bevel gear shaft toward andiaway. from ithe'soil throwing member, and a cam member carried bysaid frame andiengaging supports for at least one .of theparts of the first namedgpul-ley-to'vary the separation thereof-as the-bevel gear mechanism. is moved.

'2. 'In' combination with a soil moving :machine having-a frame, a soil cutting and elevating member-.onthe-fra'me, and. a rotatable-soil'throwing member mounted on'the frame'in'a position.to receive soil directed thereon by'saidsoilcutting and-elevating member a driveunit'for thesoil throwing member comprising .a bevel geanunit mounted vonthe' frame for movement toward "and awayfrom the soilthrowing memberiand. including a shaft paral1el1to-theaxis of-the-soil throwing member, cooperating cam and pin members .ontheframe and bevelgear unit respectively to ,guide-Lthe bevel gear unit at any angle to theishaft asit movestoward .and-awayfromtthe soilithrowing unit, ;a lever :f or moving .the bevel gear innit and--.shaft. toward andaway fromrsaidsoil throw ing unit,. a *v pulleylpart rigidly connectedto the shaft, a second V-p-ulley part; movable towardrand awayfrom-the first named V-pulley part J'JOZ'DIO- :vide a variable drive ratio, "cam means cooperating with the second V-pulley part to move it as .thebevel gear mechanismismovema .V-pulley :onttheisoil throwing; member, .and aM-rhelt con-.

necting the .v pulleys.

3. In combination with a soil-moving machine having a frame, a rotatable soil-throwing member mounted on the frame, a drive unit for the soil-throwing member comprising a bevel gear unit mounted on the frame and including a shaft parallel to the axis of the soil-throwing member, cooperating cam and pintmembers onsaid frame and bevel gear unit for guidingsaid bevel gear unit for movement toward and away from the soil-throwing member, lever means for moving said bevel gear unit whereby in response to said .camzandgear'members the unit is moved toward and away from the soil-throwing member, a V-pulley'rigidly connected to the top portion of "the soil-throwing unit, a second V-pulley mounted-upon the 'shaft of said bevel gear unit, said .second .V-pulley comprising a pair of pulley parts at least one of which is movable with respect to the other, and a V-belt connecting the V-pulleys.

4. In combination with a soil moving machine having a frame, a soil cutting and elevating memberon the'frame, andarotatable soil throwing member mounted on the frame a position to'receiVe soil directed thereon by said soil cuttingzand elevating member, a drive unit for the soil throwing member comprising a bevel gear mechanism. having 'a shaft lying substantially parallel to the axis of the soil throwing member, a V-pulley on the shaft, a V-pulley on'the soil throwing member, a V-belt drivably connecting the pulleys, one of the V-pulleys being formed of .axially separable .parts to vary the driving ratio :and being movable toward and away from the other pulley, and a lever connected to Tone of said separable pulley parts and movable to shift said part relative to the other.

5. In combination with a soil moving machine having 'a frame, a soil cutting and elevating member'on. the frame, and a rotatable soil throwing member mounted on the frame in a position to receive soil directed thereon by saidsoil cutting'and elevatingmem'ber, .a-drive unitifor the soil throwing member comprising a bevel gear-equipped shaft and a housing support therefor movably mounted on the frame for movementtoward and away from the soil throwing member, a V-pulley on the bevel gear shaft formed with axially operable parts to provide a variable ratio, a fixed 'V-pulley on the soilthrowingimember, a'V-belt connecting the pulleys, and a lever connected to 'said'bevel gear housing support to shift said support relative .to'the soil throwing member and connected also to'oneof said separable pulley parts to shift said part relative to the other.

EDGAR V. COLLINS.

CES CITED :The following references are of recordin the file .of this-patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number ,Name .Date

.-.1,697.,6,65 Shields.. .J an. l, .1929 1,697,679 Davidson.. Jan. '1, 1929 1,941,417 .Reeves 'Dec.. 26, 1933 1,984,507 -Waner Dec. '18, 1934 2,063,584 Collins Dec. 8, 1936 2,079,595 Collins May. 11, .1937 

